Russian Bronze Cross Pendant

Presenting a dark cross with flared lobes and a crowded hillside of tiny letters and symbols.

This bronze cross pendant is from Tver, Russia, and dates to the late 17th or early 18th century. Bronze is an alloy mostly of copper and tin, and cast crosses were generally made from molds with details of the design worked in relief. Pendant cross with rounded, bud-like arm ends and a small loop at the top. Raised inscriptions sit in the arm ends. A smaller crucifix stands in relief at the center above a stepped base. The surface is dark and worn. It is 0.75 inches long and 1.5 high.

Small, dark, and packed with tiny, tidy detail.